bstempleton@watmath.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (02/27/85)
I called Atari with regard to their policy towards software developers. In particular, I was trying to see if they were interested in my company's software. Their policy is not very good: 1) The machines will be sold in K-Marts and similar stores 2) No software will cost more than $50 3) On that $50 software, developers will get no more than ONE dollar. 4) If you want a machine now, you can get one for $4,500, and all that gets you is a machine with floppies and a monitor, plus a download kit. No C compilers etc. 5) No advances to developers of any kind 6) No bundled software except GEM. At this rate, most developers are saying no. You'll have to wait a while for good software on this one, folks. $1 per product is a joke. Your product would have to become one of the all-time sales greats of the microcomputer industry to make you some decent money. At the same time, they are distributing the computer through distribution channels that a small company can't use easily or even get access to. And who ever heard of developers having to pay a 500% premium to get a machine whose success is uncertain. -- Brad Templeton - Waterloo, Ont. (519) 886-7304